Flaws
by Scotia Daniel
Summary: Karai obviously wasn't cut out to be a mom. Wife? Maybe. Mother? That was a different story.


Karai sighed with agitation and slightly opened her crusted eyes. Another long night with no sleep. This had been going on for weeks. No matter how tired she was, if she crawled into bed and tried to sleep, she couldn't. And if she did, it felt like she closed her eyes for only a few minutes.

In the hallway outside, Karai could hear the light pitter patter of feet go down the hall. She glanced at the clock beside the bed and frowned. It was only six in the morning. She could easily sleep all day if she wanted to. It was an off day for her at the dojo she owned, but honestly she didn't know what else she could do with her time.

The twenty-six year old sighed again and turned over onto her side and came to face with her husband. Leonardo was fast asleep, his mouth hung slightly open and his breath was shallow. She watched his chest rise and fall and a slow and hypnotic manner.

Karai could hear the faint pitter patter of feet come back up the hall and into a different room before retreating back down the hall. The ninja sighed and closed her eyes. Her daughter must be getting herself some water and sneaking some snacks again. She and her father tended to wake up early on Saturdays for the Space Heroes marathon...but that day was Sunday. She had warned the girl not to eat snacks early in the morning, it'd spoil her breakfast. And frankly, she didn't want to clean up the mess afterwards. She was NOT into cleaning period, but until the maid they hire comes to clean up for them later that day, she was NOT doing the deed herself.

The woman turned again and snuggled her head into the pillow. A smell wafted into the room but she couldn't figure it out. She was too tired to properly place it. Why was she this tired?

Karai had to stop herself from groaning in agitation. She had done that before and scared the living day lights out of Leonardo. She couldn't believe how sensitive that man was. She supposed the sleepless nights came from worry. Not that she'd admit that to anyone, though.

The woman rolled onto her back and rested her hands across her stomach. Yes...worry. It was worry. She was worried about being a good wife to Leo. Being a good mother to their daughter, who was now four years old. The girl had grown up so fast and Karai still didn't feel prepared to be the best mom possible.

Miwa, her daughter, was everything Karai wasn't. Girly, bubbly, sweet...she took after her father and Uncle Mikey so much. She felt bad whenever she wanted Karai to play with her. She was raised by the Shredder. And the last thing he was into were tea parties with little girls, doesn't matter if they were with his daughter or not.

Naturally, Karai had adapted to the tougher life style at a young age...but Miwa was blessed with the comfy love a family has to offer. Mom, dad, uncles, grandpa...stuff Karai didn't have. She sucked in air and sighed. She was exhausted from trying. She obviously wasn't cut out to be a mom. Wife? Maybe. Mother? That was a different story. She pushed Miwa away so many times when she couldn't be the mother her daughter deserved...how could her daughter love her?

The odor wafting into the room became overbearing and it made Karai even more agitated. She buried her face into her pillow to escape it. Her eyes shot open, now recognizing the smell: smoke!

She darted out of the bed, threw open the door and ran to where the smoke was coming from. Karai darted into the kitchen where she was met with a huge mess. The oven was on and a skillet with god knows what in it had been thrown into the waste basket which now was smoking and on the verge of catching on fire.

Karai grabbed the emergency fire extinguisher, flew to the oven, turned it off and sprayed the waste basket until it was covered completely in white fluff. She felt herself breathe heavily. She dropped the fire extinguisher and fought to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.

The woman's eyes raised up to where the kitchen table was and connected with the blue orbs of her daughter's. On the table, fresh picked flowers had been put into a vase she recognized from bushes growing around Donatello and April's house up in the country. A single balloon had been tied to a chair and a card rested against the vase with 'mama' written on it.

Miwa held up a bowl of cereal in her hands towards Karai. Soot and pancake batter was smeared all over her face and arms and tiny hands. The older woman looked at her in shock but the little girl only had a sheepish smile on her face.

"Happy Mother's Day, mama! Sorry about the mess...I wanted to make you pancakes but I couldn't figure it out...so I made you cereal instead. I hope you like it!"

Karai stared at her daughter for a long moment. She began to giggle and laugh, feeling her stomach hurt from the fit. Miwa looked confused and Karai walked over to her daughter, took the cereal, placed it on the table and pulled her daughter into a big hug.

"I love it! I love it so much, Miwa! You didn't have to do this!"

Miwa tensed with shock but hugged her mother back tightly. "Anything for you, mamma! It's your day and I want it to be special. You deserve it. I love you!"

Karai felt tears in her eyes and she looked away and rubbed at them before her daughter could see. She sat down at the table and gazed down at the cereal. It was the special cereal she ate each morning. Her daughter did pay attention.

"Why don't you go and wake daddy up so we can all eat together?"

Miwa beamed and ran out of the kitchen. Karai took a bite of her breakfast, unable to stop smiling. Her daughter and Leonardo had done special stuff for her in the past, but because Miwa was still too young it felt like it was more of a little thing from Leo than her daughter, which didn't ease Karai's feelings about her daughter not loving her. But as she crunched at the cereal and looked at the flowers and unopened card...she stopped and felt the shock and awe she had for the surprise sink in.

Her daughter loved her enough to do this. Not with Leo...but on her own. She wanted to do something special for Karai because she loved her. Not because daddy said so, not because she was made to, but because she wanted to. Karai let a tear roll down her cheek. She could let that out this once. It was a special occasion, after all. And even if she wanted to, she couldn't hide the happiness she had knowing her daughter loved her despite her flaws.


End file.
